Cons / With a limited knowledgebase and email-only technical support, this software has weak help and support offerings.

Verdict / This software lacks the advanced capabilities our top-rated privacy software feature, including the ability to wipe email, free space or removable media. Without these features, HistoryKill leaves several common areas of your computer susceptible to prying eyes and lets useless files take up space.

Editor’s Note: HistoryKill has a new version available. Clicking the Buy button will take you to the current version to purchase. We will evaluate any new tools included with HistoryKill the next time we test privacy software.

HistoryKill privacy software protects your internet browsers and Windows by cleaning all traces of your computer activity. This privacy eraser includes many tools you can use to remove the data you view on the internet and in Windows beyond recovery. This software has several advanced tools, but it’s missing online support options, leaving you to mostly troubleshoot problems on your own.

This program has a busy interface compared to the other privacy applications we reviewed, and you access the tools on the program’s top panel. The software has a different tab for each internet browser, and you can select which parts of the browser you want to wipe from its tab. The program isn’t intuitive to navigate but does have a convenient setup wizard that pops up and guides you when you start the program or close an internet browser window.

When you use HistoryKill, you can schedule when you want your files erased and specify which ones to wipe. The included Auto-Kill function automates the process, cleaning your tracks from Windows when it starts up and clearing your internet activity as soon as the browser closes. You can also run the software in Stealth Mode, during which the software runs in the background undetected by others. In the event of a surprise visit, you can use the boss key (hotkey) to hide what you’re doing.

The software has a secure file shredder. When you delete a file using Windows, it is actually still recoverable. HistoryKill effectively removes the file and any trace by overwriting the data multiple times. The history eraser allows you to specify how many times you want the software to overwrite your internet history traces. We found that this software left only minimal traces of our Windows activity behind, and those traces did not reveal what we did on the computer.

Most people want to remove traces of their computer and internet activity for security and privacy, but doing so can also speed up your PC. By freeing up additional hard drive space and removing unnecessary files, this software can improve your computer performance. HistoryKill removes unwanted files, including temp files, the recycle bin, computer history, SWAP file and recent files list. However, the software does not clean files on removable media.

HistoryKill does a good job of scanning and eliminating the components it searches for. It works with Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Safari browsers and can clear your search activity so nobody knows what terms you’ve entered in search engines. It also removes cookies, your browser’s history, index.dat files, downloads and bookmarks. During testing, the software thoroughly wiped our test computer’s internet browser history and did not leave any traces of information.

In addition to protecting your online privacy, the software works with several third-party applications to remove temporary files, as well as data from instant messengers like AOL, Yahoo and MSN. The program does not have email cleaning options, which leaves you vulnerable. If this is a tool you need, consider Tracks Eraser Pro.

Online help for HistoryKill is available in the form of a searchable knowledgebase, but it isn’t too robust. If you have specific questions not addressed there, you can email technical support. However, do not expect an immediate response.

Summary

HistoryKill privacy software is an effective tool for removing personal information from your computer and internet browser. Still, the program has limited support and several missing tools that would ensure your entire computer is secure and private.